The Legend of Kazero
by Lederin
Summary: The First 18 Years of Sarutobi Kazero, an OC of Mine Who is the son of Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai. Some spoilers
1. Chapter 1

風郎

Kazero

"SHIKAMARU!!!" a voice howled from behind him. Fantastic.

"What?" Nara Shikamaru growled looking over his shoulder to see who was screaming at him. Kiba, surprisingly, he was almost certain it would be Naruto. He had no time for this. "Where the hell are you going? You've got a mission with Naruto and Me!" Kiba roared as Shikamaru disappeared into the trees.

This was all too much trouble but he knew he had to be there, plus he knew Kurenai would murder him if he was late. Suddenly he heard "Get 'im Akamaru!" from behind him.

"Oh give me a break!" he moaned as he felt the pin-like teeth of Akamaru sink into his leg.

Kiba appeared in a puff of smoke on the nearest branch. Shikamaru growled and tried to shake the dog off him. What was it with dogs biting his legs!?

Kiba demanded to know where he was going again. This was getting tiresome. "The hospital," Shikamaru snarled making another lame attempt at getting rid of the dog clamped to his leg. Kiba exploded with laughter, "You Baby!" he cried, "It didn't hurt that much you kunoichi!" he giggled in chorus with Akamaru who had let go in a fit of hysterics.

Enough was enough; Kiba let his defence down so Shikamaru was going. "Later flea-brain!" he called back to Kiba as he tore off though the trees.

He had to get there in time – even if under normal circumstances he'd be asleep under a tree – he guessed he'd be busy this day for every year to follow, but it was worth it.

He landed on a tree branch, the hospital was in sight even the right window but he guessed it was bad manners to come through the window. This was all so damn troublesome!

He sped off towards the door, she wasn't doing anything when he looked through the window – he was late.

"Yuhi Kurenai?" the nurse asked with a smile, he'd been there every day this past week. Shikamaru nodded. "Up the stairs and on your left," she smiled as she rearranged the appears on her desk, she found it so amusing the notoriously lazy Nara Shikamaru had managed to get to the same place at the same time for the last week. She watched him dart up the stairs.

"Kurenai?" he asked as he stuck his head around the door.

"Hello there, you're not so late," he teased. She looked exhausted, so today was the day. He edged close and slid into the chair – why was he so nervous? Asuma's the one who should be nervous!

"Well, I suppose you're dying to know," he smirked, "You really didn't have to come all the way out here," she smiled, a little more warmly. She'd spent so much time with him of late, whether he was charging all over Konoha trying to find things to satisfy her cravings for the oddest things imaginable or being dragged shopping and being asked his opinion on every item of clothing in the shop!

"Here he is!" she cheered and handing the Chuunin a small bundle of blue cloth that looked up at him. "Wow, all he needs is a cigarette and a forehead protector," he muttered poking the baby on the nose. "Lucky he got your looks Kurenai," he chuckled.

"I think he looks more like Asuma," he reasoned as the baby stared at Shikamaru's hair. "So go on! What's his name?" she grinned, he sweeping the look of sadness from her face.

"How am I supposed to know that!?" Shikamaru exclaimed staring at the baby.

"You're the one with the IQ of 200, not me," she laughed.

He looked at the baby again. It would either be something to do with red or wind because of Kurenai's general name and Asuma's ability to use wind chakra and he was a boy. It could be anything!

Ok, if he couldn't guess he'd just have to use his powers of observation. He looked over to the cot and sure enough there was some Hiragana on the side but the kanji next to it.

風郎

"Kazero," he announced. "Interesting choice, _Wind Son_" he added with a smirk. Kurenai's face was a picture.

He chuckled and looked down at the baby again that had suddenly taken a great interest in his thumb. "Let's see if as good with wind chakra as your daddy," he smiled. He looked down at the kid; he slid his forehead protector off his arm and placed it on the baby's head, "Look, He's a ninja already," he joked as the baby made a gurgling noise.

He looked over to Kurenai, she didn't seem cheerful anymore. She looked down at her knees, she'd gone quiet; a sure sign something was wrong. He noticed a tear slide down her cheek.

"I can't do this," she whispered. Shikamaru was taken aback, that was something Kurenai would never say. "Not without him, how can I bring a baby up and go on missions at the same time," she continued.

"That's what we have Iruka-sensei for! Konoha's top babysitter. He'll be fine, you'll be fine," he said, in an attempt to console her. Confirming his theories that women and children were far too much trouble.

He leaned over and gave her a hug, he knew she missed Asuma, he missed him. But he didn't have to raise his kid. "You'll be fine – you've got me, I'll try to be useful," he smiled.

The burst open as a small orange flashed rocketed into the room. "Shikamaru!!" it cried then skidded to a halt. "Oohh! I'll give you some privacy shall I?" it cried, who else? Naruto. Great! Here came the rumours. "Naruto! What do you want," Shikamaru groaned as he let go of Kurenai. "You're supposed to be leading our mission-tebayo!" the boy yelled waving his finger in Shikamaru's face. He sighed and muttered under his breath.

"You've got to come now!! Chouji's eaten all the ramen and Kiba won't stop moaning about Akamaru's fleas!" it was obvious that Naruto had no intention of leaving him in peace.

"And!! Neji's driving me crazy, 'look at me I can use Byakugan' BAKA!! I'm this close to Rasenganing him in the face!!" Naruto continued to rant until Shikamaru rammed his hand over his mouth.

"Shut up. You'll upset the baby, I'll be ten minutes, okay?" the Chuunin growled but it was hard to menacing with Kurenai sat behind him laughing. "I've been taking lessons from your sensei…" he smirked evilly looking over to the perplexed Naruto.

"Sennen…Goro-" He started

"Okaaayyy!!" Naruto wailed as he bolted out of the room. Kurenai couldn't stop giggling; at least she seemed happier now. "I guess you should really get going," she said, looking over to him. "Probably, I'll see you later," Shikamaru sighed, "Happy birthday Kaze-kun," he smiled and ruffled the boy's lack of hair. Kurenai chuckled as he bounced out of the room.

"Maybe we'll be ok after all," she whispered to the baby.


	2. Chapter 2

風郎

Kazero Chapter 2

THUD! Something bounced off the window of the 21-year-old Nara Shikamaru.

He rolled out of the bed and poked his head out of the window. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing? Get the hell off my lawn!" he howled at the three kids who were throwing yoghurt pots at his window. "Haha! Gets him every time. Come on the then Nara! Bet you can't catch me!!" a small boy laughed as he charged up the path. Shikamaru growled and grabbed three shuriken from the pocket of his trousers. "Heh," he smirked and watched them fly.

The boy and his two friends were pinned to the near by tree. He smiled with satisfaction; he pulled on his pants and slipped his shirt over his head.

He strode out of the door towards the three captured boys. He sneered down at their leader, "Namiashi Araio, twice as much trouble as your dear daddy, aren't you," Shikamaru hissed at the small, flaming haired boy. He suited his name. The boy looked up at him with eyes like fire. "Please desist from throwing junk at my window. I have things I need to do today," he continued and pulled the shuriken out of the back of the boy's shirt. "Now run along and be a good boy," he said in his best patronising voice.

He drifted down the path, staring at the clouds. Six years today, six years today he'd been a Chuunin being chased by a team mate to the hospital. That was one hell of a day. Today approved to be another. Today, he was going to meet a certain someone today. "Shikamaru-oniichan!!" a voice cried as a small red flashed jumped on him.

"Kaze-kun," he chuckled as the small boy bounced off him. He beamed at him, short and suitably wild dark hair with quite tanned skin and dark eyes that flickered with a brilliance that Shikamaru had seen the boy's father. "It's my birthday!" the boy cheered and started jumping again. "I think he knows," a voice giggled.

She smiled at him, Yuhi Kurenai. She'd know better than anyone. "C'mere you!" she cried and seized her son. "Oh mum!!" he whined as she messed his hair up.

"And what happens tomorrow?" she asked in a tone that suggested she'd asked it a hundred times before. "I enrol at the academy!" he shouted throwing a piece of paper under the now-jounin's nose.

SARUTOBI KAZERO

An academy application form. "I see," Shikamaru smiled, remembering his first day at the academy. Kazero grinned. "You're still coming with me aren't you Shikamaru-oniichan?" the boy pleaded,

"Of course," he smiled, ruffling the boy's hair again. He wouldn't miss it for the world. "It's gonna be great! I'll be able to do all the really cool stuff you do!" the boy beamed and began running around throwing invisible shurikens at walls.

Shikamaru grinned at Kurenai. "Big day," he laughed as they boy charged around. She nodded, smiling at her son. "He'll be fine," she answered, as though trying to reassure herself.

Kurenai hadn't had it easy for the last six years. Screaming babies and no one else to sort them out in the middle of the night. Shikamaru had tried his best to help her out, taking Kazero for the night (much to his parent's dislike) but she definitely had had a rough time. He found he'd got a lot closer to Kurenai after Asuma's death. Once she had been "Team 8's Jounin," and now she was "a good friend" it was easier now though. Kaze was old enough to realise he had to be a little less demanding, and now he didn't mind being passed around for babysitting when either his mother or Shikamaru had missions.

"I really hope Araio isn't my class! He's horrible!" the boy complained, throwing another invisible shuriken as a tree. "Tell me about it," Shikamaru muttered, he'd had enough of Raido's son to kill him.

The day carried on in all its frenzied attack on Konoha's food court. The boy was like Naruto, a one man eating machine. Understandably he was completely hyped up because it was his birthday and was dragging the two of them all over Konoha, until they caught up with some of the other Jounins (who had now all become accustom to the boy after each of them spending at least one night babysitting him) who he dragged around him them until they could escape.

"Kaze-kun slow down!" Kurenai cried breathlessly as she chased after him. "Where do you get all the energy because it certainly isn't from me!" She panted as he charged ahead waving at the pigeons who all seemed far from pleased to see him.

Shikamaru smirked and went after him. "C'mere you! Bed time!" he shouted and launched the six-year-old off the ground. "Onii-chan!!" he giggled as Shikamaru threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He carried him back to Kurenai with a silly grin on his face.

Eventually the boy calmed down and they had made their way up a large hill that overlooked the river. Shikamaru sighed and chewed on the sweets Kazero had left, he was fast asleep now. A lonesome wind howled across the twilit hill. The Sakura trees seemed as if they about to blossom

He and Kurenai sat in silence, their silence only broken by occasional contented moans of the small boy using Shikamaru's thigh as a pillow. Kurenai smiled as Kazero rolled over again, with one of the pocky sticks stuck to his forehead.

She giggled at the expression on Shikamaru's face. "Jeez, you ate too much," he sighed and carefully peeled the pink candy off the boy's skin.

Kurenai smiled and looked out across the picturesque landscape. Probably thinking, "Me and Asuma came on a date here, one of these many 'we're on a mission not a date' dates," she said distantly, from out of no where. Shikamaru jerked as if he had been flicked on the nose. "He bought me some of those _Wagashi_ from that stall over there," she continued, unaware of how stunned Shikamaru was.

He forgot that they had been dating when Asuma was still alive. He'd never seen them together when he was still around – he only associated the two together when he died. "I miss him so much…" she said wistfully with another small sigh.

"Me too…" he answered unconsciously, staring at the starless, cloudless sky. Reminding him of how lonely they were now. "Well! Guess we need to get this guy home, saying that…I should probably go home soon too. Big day tomorrow," he said suddenly, tearing the peaceful silence apart. Kurenai nodded and scooped the boy up in her arms; he made a few noises of disapproval but didn't wake up.

"Well…goodnight," she called quietly, waving goodbye with a half-free-arm. He waved back and made his way home with his cold hands in his pockets. The temperature had plummeted now, for no reason he could see. He stared into the endless sky and tried to push thoughts of Asuma to the back of his mind.

--

"OHAYOOOGOZAIMASSSU!!!" a voice squealed up the stairs. What on earth had possessed him to say the rest of his team could share his house with him? "Shud up!" Came the sleepy moan of Chouji from through the wall. Ino was always first awake and always decided to wake the other two up. "Yeah Ino, Shut up!" Shikamaru seconded, pulling the covers over his head. "Hey! You told me to wake you up do you weren't late for the academy thing! Baka!" he heard Ino's shrill voice scream up the stairs. "Damnit!" he cried and rolled out of bed, searching for his pants.

"Hey…Shika? Whah'choo'doin?" Chouji asked dozily as he appeared in his "I'm not fat, I'm cuddly" T-shirt and pair of shorts.

"You seen my Jounnin vest?" he asked from under the bed as he yanked his shoe out from behind the bed frame. "It's on the line outside," Chouji answered – he always looked so much a like a sleepy baby in the mornings.

"Thanks!" he grinned as he charged past him and out of the door.

Enrolment day! Enrolment day! Of all the days to be late! He yanked the vest over his head as he sped past several other civilians and a few puzzled Chuunins.

"Hey! Shikamaru-oniichan!" Kaze cheered as his friend skidded to a halt in front of Kurenai, "A very good morning to you," she smirked as he doubled over, panting like Akamaru after a long training session. "Forgot...to...set...alarm! Ino is…noisy!" he wheezed, well aware that both Kazero and Kurenai were laughing at him.

They managed to persuade Kaze to go in, he was really nervous. Shikamaru couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "Go go go!" He urged, pushing the boy along.

"Ok!" the boy yielded, squirming uncontrollably.

"Wait!" Kurenai cried, running after him as the boy walked away gingerly. Shikamaru sighed and dropped his head into his hand. They spent ten minutes begging him to go in and she went running after him telling him to wait. Brilliant!

"I forgot this, have a nice day Kaze-kun," Kurenai said, handing the boy a white cloth. He looked own at it, clearly confused. "Fire?" he asked, reading the red kanji in the centre of it. "For the will of fire, it was your father's. It's for luck," She told him, tying it around his neck, seeing as it was miles too big to fit around his waist, and it didn't look particularly good with his red T-shirt. Kaze looked up at her, more unsure then confused now. Shikamaru guessed he had never really heard too much about Asuma. "Mum A-" he started but was cut short when Iuka appeared.

"Kazero?" he asked, "I'm Umino Iruka, I'll be your sensei, do you want to come in?" he smiled; Shikamaru guessed he must've been quite used to shy children by now. "I…Ok," Kaze started but stopped, tugging at his T-short nervously. "Bye Mum…" he said silently and took hold of Iruka's hand.

Kurenai came back and stood beside Shikamaru, her face framed with a look somewhere between happiness and tears. "I thought you never got that back…" Shikamaru muttered, watching Kazero inch away from them. "You'd be surprised what I got back…" she smirked, ruffling his hair affectionately. He couldn't believe he still let her get away with that! He didn't even let his dad get away with messing his hair up anymore. "He'll be fine," she said firmly, when he was sure he saw a faint tear appear in the corner of her eye.

Would Kaze be ok? He'd just have to wait and see…


End file.
